Yes. A timber-frame house with an airtight, well-insulated envelope, continuous heating and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is suitable for use by the sea all year round, even in strong winds and high humidity.
It is essential that the house is heated and ventilated continuously. Timber in the structure does not cope well with prolonged dampness, but in a heated building with heat recovery, indoor humidity remains under control throughout the season.
In our homes, the structure is built using C24-grade timber, and the walls achieve a U-value of 0.15 W/m²K, so heat does not escape through the walls even in gusty sea winds. Equally important are the construction details: the connections between the walls and the foundation slab, the fitting of windows, and the installation penetrations. It is in these places that air most often finds its way inside. Factory production allows these to be manufactured consistently and checked before the components are delivered to the site. A house occupied all year round is therefore, in practice, in better condition than a holiday home that stands empty for half the year.
